Aakash 3 to come with SIM slot, new apps: Report

Aakash 3 to come with SIM slot, new apps: Report

Aakash 1 or Aakash 2 might not have reached the students, but we are already hearing about the third version of this elusive tablet from Indian government. According to a report by Times of India, Aakash 3 will come with a SIM card slot and newer apps.

The third iteration of the Akash tablet is expected to be announced next year and Indian government is likely to float a tender to get a manufacturer for the same in February 2013.

Times of India add that about 50 lakhs of Aakash 3 tablets are expected to be rolled out in the next phase.

“Our aim is to imbibe the usage of tablets in the education system and create an ecosystem for this. We have distributed Aakash tablets to 250 colleges across the country and asked them to come up with newer ways to use the device,” Deepak B Phatak, committee member and a professor in IIT- Bombay’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering told TOI.

Aakash 3 will reportedly feature faster processor, newer version of Android (a Linux version is also expected).

Aakash, a low cost tablet project for the Indian college and school students, was originally introduced in 2010. Indian government showcased the first prototype of the tablet the same year but the prototype never became a reality. The government than unveiled a new tablet with Aakash name in the year 2011, the tablet was criticised for the low specs and poor performance.

This tablet too like the former never reached the student. HRD Ministry than came out with Aakash 2, which is the latest version to be announced. This iteration is also yet to reach the students. So, Aakash tablet project might have created a lot of hype, but in reality like any other government scheme, it has turned out to a mirage.